The aftermath of world war 2 and the cold war
Victor Fung Class 11(1) IB Sept. 2, 2008 In the aftermath of World War 2, the European countries such as Great Britain, France and Germany emerged weakened both militarily and economically. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as unrivaled superpowers, both keen to make most of their advantage. Although the Soviets and the Americans fought together in the war, the defeat of Germany had made them set their sights on each other. Lack of a common enemy, increasing public pressure, and drastically different ideologies eventually led to arms race that was later known as the Cold War. During the war, the two superpowers contented themselves with fighting Germany and maintained an allied stance. However, immediately after the fall of Germany, both sides scrambled to gain the most out of their victory, especially the Soviets, who had taken more losses than all the other countries combined. As there was no country left that was powerful enough to either stop them or distract them, they began viewing each other with hostility. With Great Britain too weak to deter the Soviets, the only obstacle that remained was America. Although Germany was partitioned between them, Japan was wholly occupied by the Americans, but that was only the beginning of the problems between the two. Having bested their enemies in the war, both the American and Soviet people found new
How important was World War Two and the Cold War in eroding Europe primacy in the world from 1900 to 1949?
How important was World War Two and the Cold War in eroding Europe primacy in the world from 1900 to 1949? In 1900, Europe was the centre of the world, it dominated the world politically, military and geographically. However by 1949, Europe was no longer the centre of world issues; instead its decline has led to Europe being a bit player in the world and in the Cold War and it was not recognized as a world power anymore as it could not compare to the strengths of the USA and the USSR. This decline can be attributed to World War Two and the Cold War, also among other factors such as World War One, the post-WWI Treaties, the Great Depression of the 30's that was a result of the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and also the events pre-WWI of 1900-1914. World War Two and the Cold War were very important for Europe's decline but a more important cause of Europe's decline can be down to World War One; this is because the impact of the war caused Europe to decline dramatically, and as a result Europe began to slip away as a power at that early stage. World War Two had a major impact on Europe, as masses of infrastructure were destroyed and ruined. Former Great Powers like France and Germany were occupied during the war, while Britain, who remained unoccupied, also faced the same reality as France and Germany, which was that the balance of power shifted from these countries to the new
The End of the Cold War and the Emergence of the Post-Cold War World
The End of the Cold War and the Emergence of the Post-Cold War World Group Report In the summer of 1991, just for a week's time, the existence of a Union, made up of fifteen Socialist Republics, remained only a fact in the history books. This dissolution, however, was not a singular event. The following report will attempt to examine the explicit and implicit causes of Soviet's Union break-up, as well as the confusion and disorder it caused, mainly by clarifying the issues surrounding it. The critical discussion provided will also present a useful insight in the formation of the emerged new World after the Cold War, referred to by historians, as the 'Post-Cold War' world, chiefly taking into consideration Gorbachev's 'novoie myslenie' and the concepts of glasnost and perestroika, plus their fundamental impact on Eastern Europe and even on present-day Russian political system (Bisley, 2004, p.75). By virtue of the long lasted era of stagnation and communist ideological values under Brezhnev's government, at the end of the 1980s, the Soviet state was evidently bleak. Moreover, the ever increasing interference of the party, in practically every aspect of people's life, was becoming to a greater extent detrimental for the effectiveness of the state in the course of the years. As a result, by the time Gorbachev acquired the post of General Secretary in 1985, he had a great
Cold War
Name : Saw Hsar Lwe Program : OUHK - Cetana (Myanmar) Course : SS201 Student No : 10399429 Assignment : TMA 05 Date : 15th, 9, 2010 When it comes to observing political history, the Cold War and post-Cold War seem to be worthwhile to give a try. Cold War is not a war. It is an ideological conflict between Communist and non-Communist countries. It means that one side uses every means, to defame or to weaken the other side but without directly fighting a war. Thus, in terms of this essay, I will firstly approach the passing of the Cold War, and move on to nine models that seem to be constructive in explaining the functioning of the post-Cold War. Finally, by dint of my own model I will give attempt to draw the picture of the post-Cold War era. The cold war started after World War II (1939-45) when the Allies (United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union) disagreed over how to govern occupied Germany. Soon after the Second World War both the United States and the Soviet Union became "super powers." The term "super powers" referred to the U.S. and the Soviet which both possessed military might and economic resources superior or equal to the combined strength of any group of countries of the rest of the world (Suter, 2003). Thus, they were called super powers. Countries such as Britain, France, China, Japan, and Germany were not regarded as super powers. The
COLD WAR
There is widespread agreement that the end of the Cold War was a triumph for the United States and the West; but even several years later, there is little consensus about its meaning and implications for the future. As a result, it is not surprising that we call the period in which we now find ourselves the "post-Cold War" world, defining it as much by reference to what it is not and by what is behind us, as by what it is and by what lies ahead of us. A few features of the post-Cold War environment already are clear. First and most obvious, our victory in the Cold War -- not only the fact that we won it but how we won it -- transformed what might be called our "security environment." This occurred in the fundamental sense that the very real threats to our national security interests and core values we faced for a generation have disappeared for the foreseeable future. Notwithstanding all the issues and problems we confront in the post-Cold War world, none compares to the dangers -- including the specter of nuclear annihilation -- we faced during the Cold War. The simple but remarkable fact is that, for the first time in my adult life, the United States no longer faces a direct military threat to its vital interests. Second, and perhaps less obvious, the end of the Cold War offers new possibilities. It opens the way for the diffusion of market economies and democracies
Cold war
International History. Option W - 1919-63 Part 2 1945-1963 (Key Issues 7-9) Key Issue 7- Why did the USA and the USSR become rivals in the period 1945-49 The breakup of the wartime alliances . A. What united GB, USA and the Soviet Union between 1941-5 In 1941 Hitler launched an attack on Russia, this breached the terms of the Nazi-Soviet pact. The USA GB and Russia had disliked the Germans for a long time because of their political ideas but this united them together against the Germans. 2. What disagreements were there between the USA and the Soviet Union during this period? The USA and Soviet Union had many differences during this period despite being allies. The main differences between the two countries were their political ideas. The Soviet Union was communist and a one party state, whereas the USA was a democratic country. In America there were numerous parties, all of whom were allowed to be a part of national elections which decided who would take control of their country. They also had social, economic and cultural differences. In the Soviet Union all industry was owned by communists and living standards were poor. Whereas in the USA living standards were higher and industry was privately owned 3. What was agreed at the Yalta conference of February 1945? The Yalta conference took place in February 1945, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt met and wanted to come
Cold War
Cold War War is an event that represents the situation of a state and how it is revolutionized. It introduces new factors that sometimes force nations others to join in the enhancing of ideas. In particular, the new face of the ideological or new age concept was brought up. The United States of America and the former Union of Soviet Socialists Republic engaged in an ideological conflict known as the Cold War from 1945 to 1989. It was a time of differences between democracy and communism. The other main consequence of the Cold War was also a great scientific and technological advancements. Both superpowers possessed highly destructive arms for their offense and defense that induced fear in the other. This fear caused the launch of the Space Race: a derby of government-funded scientific advancements to take the human race into space. The space program is, to a large extent, the result of the Cold War. The rivalry between the US and the USSR for being the head power but with different ideologies had preceded the Second World War. Both nations had unprecedented tension flowing between them. Among many of these tensions were the financial and propaganda issues that made them enemies. These facts made a series of competitions such as economic strategies and propaganda. Among these competitions is one of the most important; the Space Race. The Cold War fueled an important
cold war
Despite what many might think, cold war is well known across hundreds of nations all over the world. cold war has been around for several centuries and has a very important meaning in the lives of many. It would be safe to assume that cold war is going to be around for a long time and have an enormous impact on the lives of many people. Social & Cultural Factors cold war has a large role in American Culture. Many people can often be seen taking part in activities associated with cold war. This is partly because people of most ages can be involved and families are brought together by this. Generally a person who displays their dislike for cold war may be considered an outcast. Economic Factors It is not common practice to associate economics with cold war. Generally, cold war would be thought to have no effect on our economic situation, but there are in fact some effects. The sales industry associated with cold war is actually a 2.3 billion dollar a year industry and growing each year. The industry employs nearly 150,000 people in the United States alone. It would be safe to say that cold war play an important role in American economics and shouldn't be taken for granted. Environmental Factors After a three month long research project, I've been able to conclude that cold war doesn't negatively effect the environment at all. A cold war did not seem to result in waste
The Cold War was a big rivalry that developed after World War II.
The Cold War was a big rivalry that developed after World War II. This rivalry was between two groups: the Communist and non-Communist nations. On one side were the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its Communist allies. On the other side were the United States and its democratic allies.The rivalry was called the Cold War because it did not actually lead to fighting and had no real battle. There are many reasons that the Cold War started and there are many conflicts with other nations that happened around the Cold War which linked to the U.S.S.R. and U.S. This essay will outline the main causes and conflicts of the Cold War. No one is sure exactly why the Cold War began but many say that the Yalta Conference, a meeting of Allied leaders in February 1945, was a high point. After the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Big Three Allies, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin, met and made plans to form the United Nations as Stalin said he would go against Japan within three months after Germany surrendered. They also developed the Declaration on Liberated Europe, where they pledged to hold democratic elections in countries freed from the control of Germany and its allies. However, the Soviet Union didn't keep this agreement. The United States felt betrayed by Stalin's refusal to carry out all of his promises and by his determination to establish a "sphere of influence" in Eastern
The Cold War.
According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy", one apt definition of war is this: war is an actual, intentional and widespread-armed conflict between political communities." (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/). This definition did not seem fit for the conflict between capitalism (United States of America), communism (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), and their followers. The struggle was later dubbed the Cold War, referring to its lack of physical conflict. However, if every aspect of this struggle is examined, the name "Cold War" does not serve justice to what it stands for. The dispute between communism and capitalism was not limited to political distrust and competition. Thus, the struggle should not solely be classified as a "Cold War". There is no exact date that marks the beginning of the Cold War, but its deepest roots are found in early 1900s with the Russian revolution. The people of Russia were unsatisfied with the czarist government in place. In 1917, the government was overthrown and Vladimir Ilich Lenin established a new communist government. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed. Under the new rule, all opposition to the government was eradicated, including external obstruction. The Soviets called for a worldwide revolution against capitalism, which they viewed as an enemy and a threat to their state. This was the first
